The Gryffindor Tree
by breathmint25
Summary: Percy is Sorted into Ravenclaw, and Molly isn't quite sure how to react. She comes to the realization that being a Two-House family isn't so bad. Her realization brings about some changes in the Weasley Family. AU.


_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I swear._

_September 2, 1987_

The Weasleys had always been Gryffindors. Always. Had there ever been a Weasley NOT in Gryffindor? Molly didn't think so. Why, the word Weasley was practically synonymous with the word Gryffindor, Molly thought faintly.

And yet, the owl had arrived at breakfast had been clear: The Weasleys were no longer solely a Gryffindor family.

Molly glanced down at the letter in her hand.

_Dear Mother and Father,  
><em>

_My first evening at Hogwarts has been eventful to say the least. The train ride was very pleasant and while I sat with Bill and Charlie, I managed to meet a few of my classmates. The castle is quite large. I suspect it will take me some time to navigate it well.  
><em>

_There are 3 other boys in my dormitory. They all seem to be of a good sort. One, Derek, is a Muggleborn and he is quite interesting. I shall ask numerous questions about the Muggle world for you, Father.  
><em>

_The Sorting Hat was a nice surprise. (Bill and Charlie implied there would be some sort of physical exercise involved.) The Hat deliberated over me for quite some time before settling on Ravenclaw.  
><em>

_I do hope I shall be happy there.  
><em>

_Bill and Charlie promise to look after me, and they both send their love.  
><em>

_Your son,  
><em>

_Percy_

Of course, Percy had always been different from his siblings. Molly knew that. He preferred reading to Quidditch and sitting in the kitchen with her to roughhousing with Arthur. Percy was fragile in a way that none of his siblings were. Arthur and Molly had tried very hard to accommodate Percy's differences in personality. They wanted all their children to feel loved after all, despite their large number. Yet sometimes it was hard to get the other children to include Percy or to get Fred and George to leave him alone. Molly knew that Percy felt alone, but hadn't she always tried to make him feel special? Hadn't she talked to him while she baked; let him lick the spoons, and owled friends and family for new books for him to read? Hadn't she been a good enough mother?

"Stop it right now Molly Prewett Weasley! What the bloody hell is wrong with you? That fact that Percy was Sorted into Ravenclaw has nothing to do with your parenting skills," her conscience shouted at her. "You always knew he was different; you and Arthur talked about it at length. You said it didn't matter at all. Was that a bunch of poppycock then? If so, you're no better than the Blacks or the Malfoys! Shame on you for thinking all of your children had to be in Gryffindor! SHAME! Do you love Percy less than the others then, because he's not in your bloody perfect house?"

"Of course I don't." Molly whispered to herself, abashed.

She glanced out the window at her four remaining children. Fred and George were fiddling with something that Molly should probably go look into, while Ron was reading a Marvin Miggs comic under a tree. Ginny was having a tea party in the center of the yard with her 3 dolls and a gnome Fred had tied down for her.

She knew in her heart that Percy would be the only one of her children to not be in Gryffindor. Fred, George, Ron and Ginny had all displayed very Gryffindorish qualities throughout their lives. Percy would be the odd one out, as he always was. Being in a different house from his siblings would only widen the gap between Percy and the rest even more wouldn't it?

"It doesn't matter." Molly whispered. Percy would be with the people like him at school—the studious ones, the logical ones, the ones who relied on book smarts. He would be safe there. There would be no teasing about his personality or looks, as there might have been in Gryffindor. And wouldn't it be good for him to be separate from Fred and George? Less teasing that way! Yes, Percy would be happy in Ravenclaw. And wasn't that her main goal of being a mother? Ensuring that her children were safe and happy?

Yes, it was.

And she was going to ensure Percy's happiness—she was going to change the attitudes of this house regarding non-Gryffindor houses.

She was going to begin by doing what she did best: baking. She was going to make cookies with eagles on the top to send to Percy and his dorm mates. And when winter came, she was going to knit Percy a blue wool hat. And she'd ask Arthur if it was all right if he and Percy switched colours on their Christmas sweaters. Percy would have blue now, and Arthur would have the grey.

But as she turned towards the pantry, she was struck with another idea. She left the kitchen and strolled into the front hallway. There it was.

The Gryffindor Tree

The Gryffindor Tree was really a simple coat rack, usually forgotten this time of the year as the last days of summer were in full swing. It had been a wedding present from Bilius. It was known in the Weasley family as the Gryffindor Tree due to the lion that was perched atop it that roared occasionally when the rack was particularly full. The lion's call had gotten weaker as the years passed and Molly and Arthur never bothered to fix it as the pitiful noise amused the children.

The Gryffindor Tree had taken on a new significance when Bill had gone off to school and been Sorted into Gryffindor. When he had returned that year for the Christmas holidays, Arthur had added a new arm for the sole purpose of holding Gryffindor scarves. All the children had looked forward to putting their own scarf on the new arm. Why last Christmas, Molly thought she'd burst with pride as Bill and Charlie had hung their scarves up together. She had imagined what it would be like when there were seven Gryffindor scarves hanging on the Gryffindor Tree.

But she knew that would have been an irrational daydream even if Percy HAD been Sorted into Gryffindor. After all, by the time Ginny started Hogwarts, Bill and Charlie would be out of school.

Molly took in the tree with a discerning eye and immediately began making plans.

_December 20, 1987_

Molly could barely contain her excitement as she heard the front door open and the happy chatter of her first four boys enter the hallway. Halting her dinner preparations, she emerged from the kitchen as her four youngest children loudly began the descent from their rooms up above. She caught sight of Percy trying to hide behind his older brothers as he fiddled with his bronze-and-blue scarf. She was about to call to him, but Charlie, with slight alarm, exclaimed, "What's this?"

She followed his gaze to the coat rack formerly known as the Gryffindor Tree and took in the changes with her boys. A chirping eagle had been added to the top next to the roaring lion and both of the mascots had had their sounds fixed. It had taken Arthur a weekend in his shed to sculpt the eagle and to attach it to the top. Molly had done her part as well, spending several hours looking through books to find the spells to make the noises.

But the best part, in Molly's opinion, was the sign she had hung from the top of the coat rack. It read:

Henceforth this coat rack shall be known as

The Gryffindor-Ravenclaw Tree

because the Weasleys are now a

Very Proud

Two-House Family!

GO LIONS AND EAGLES!

The sign had been a family project one night not long after Molly had had her realization. She had drawn the letters on, Ginny and Ron had colored them in, Fred and George had drawn a lion on one side of the poster, and Arthur the eagle on the other. She had immediately hung it up on the coat rack that September night; she wanted them all to get used to the idea. She felt it had slightly softened the twins's dislike of the idea of having a Ravenclaw for a brother.

Before Molly or Arthur could respond, Ginny appeared and she exclaimed "Mummy and Daddy fixed it for Percy!"

Percy's cheeks went pink as he took into the new changes. Molly wanted to give him a hug, but she knew he wouldn't stand for that in front of all his siblings.

It hadn't been easy, but Arthur and Molly had gotten their children to accept their brother's new place. Yes, Fred and George still muttered that Percy wasn't "a real Weasley" at times, but Ron and Ginny had seemed OK with it. (Although Ron had been very worried that HE might not be in Gryffindor because of Percy's Sorting. Arthur and Molly had been quick to reassure him that he could be in any house he wanted, including Gryffindor.) They had read up on Ravenclaw's history a bit, as well as found list of famous Ravenclaw alumni both to send to Percy and to educate his siblings. Molly was proud to answer now when asked if all her children were Gryffindors.

"Well my two oldest Bill and Charlie are Lions, but Percy's started a new tradition by being a Weasley Ravenclaw. The first one in the family—we're just so thrilled!"

And here was Percy home at last. Molly hoped their new attitude would stick for his sake.

She watched with pride as Bill removed his scarlet-and-gold scarf and placed it over the scarf arm. Bill, her beloved oldest, was used to being the leader and the example. Charlie quickly followed suit, and soon the two boys were roughhousing in the living room with their four youngest siblings.

She and Arthur watched as Percy carefully unwound his scarf. He held it in his hands for just a moment before throwing it over the arm. Molly thought seeing those three scarves in a row, two scarlet-and-gold, one blue-and-bronze, was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

Arthur wrapped his arm around Percy, carefully making sure none of Percy's siblings could see first.

"Welcome home son," he murmured, giving Percy a squeeze and a hair mussing for his trouble.

Percy gave a slight smile, and gave Arthur a one-armed arm in return.

Molly stepped forward and Percy hugged her as well, burying his face into her shoulder for a moment.

"How about you join me in the kitchen eh, and tell me all about your term. I'm sure it was wonderful! Your old mum's never been in the Ravenclaw common room so you're going to have to tell me all about where those Eagles live."

As Molly and Percy walked away, Percy haltingly starting his description of the term, she couldn't help but look back and smile at Arthur. They had done so well.

Yes, it was great being a Two-House family.

EDIT: I messed up with the mascot initially. The Ravenclaws are the Eagles, not the Badgers (which is the mascot of the lovely Hufflepuffs). Thank you to the reviewers that corrected me. I have changed it!


End file.
